Ian Schreiber
@ianschreiber.bsky.social
Game designer, educator, parent.
One IGF 2025 entry per day: Reality Break (elementgamesonline.com). Overhead-view ARPG IN SPAAAAACE. Nifty alternate-universe thing going on where you can modify the timeline (hence the game's name). If you were disappointed with Diablo 4 and miss the old school ARPGs, you'll probably like this.
Element Games
elementgamesonline.com
December 31, 2025 at 5:53 PM
One IGF 2025 entry per day: Reality Break (elementgamesonline.com). Overhead-view ARPG IN SPAAAAACE. Nifty alternate-universe thing going on where you can modify the timeline (hence the game's name). If you were disappointed with Diablo 4 and miss the old school ARPGs, you'll probably like this.
Today's indie game: Wander Stars (papercastlegames.com). Ever watch any kind of martial-arts-themed anime where it seems like everyone has to shout out the name of their next move just before they attack? Here's an entire RPG based around this as the combat system.
Paper Castle Games - Paper Castle
We're Paper Castle! Friends making home-made games. Creators of Underhero & Wander Stars. We make games that tell stories.
papercastlegames.com
December 31, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Today's indie game: Wander Stars (papercastlegames.com). Ever watch any kind of martial-arts-themed anime where it seems like everyone has to shout out the name of their next move just before they attack? Here's an entire RPG based around this as the combat system.
Today's indie game: Below the Crown (misfitsattic.com/below-the-cr...). Chess-based Roguelite dungeon crawl that does expect you already are comfortable with Chess (and not a purist) but for those in it target audience it's well done. Just a demo when I judged IGF, but saw enough good to recommend.
Below the Crown – Misfits Attic
misfitsattic.com
December 29, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Today's indie game: Below the Crown (misfitsattic.com/below-the-cr...). Chess-based Roguelite dungeon crawl that does expect you already are comfortable with Chess (and not a purist) but for those in it target audience it's well done. Just a demo when I judged IGF, but saw enough good to recommend.
Today's indie game: OFF - offtherpg.com - if you like weird quirky takes on JRPGs like Sword&Sworcery, Earthbound, and Undertale, this game is very much playing in that same space. It's an older game but recent remake for Steam and Switch. One of the inspirations of Undertale, still holds up today.
OFF the Game for Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam)
offtherpg.com
December 27, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Today's indie game: OFF - offtherpg.com - if you like weird quirky takes on JRPGs like Sword&Sworcery, Earthbound, and Undertale, this game is very much playing in that same space. It's an older game but recent remake for Steam and Switch. One of the inspirations of Undertale, still holds up today.
Today's indie game: Type Help (william-rous.itch.io/type-help). 100% free in-browser game told almost entirely through text, with the premise that you're searching through an old PC to find digital clues to solve the mystery of a bunch of mysterious deaths. Keep a notebook handy.
Type Help by William Rous
The Unsolvable Mystery
william-rous.itch.io
December 26, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Today's indie game: Type Help (william-rous.itch.io/type-help). 100% free in-browser game told almost entirely through text, with the premise that you're searching through an old PC to find digital clues to solve the mystery of a bunch of mysterious deaths. Keep a notebook handy.
Today's indie game: The Drifter (store.steampowered.com/app/1170570/...). Old-school LucasArts-style graphic adventure game with quality writing, good production values, but still holding to the genre's roots rather than trying to modernize it. If that sounds more nostalgic than painful, go for it
Save 15% on The Drifter on Steam
A Pulp Adventure Thriller - A murdered drifter awakens. Alive again, seconds before his death. Hunted and haunted, help him untangle a mad web of conspiracy in this fast-paced point 'n click thrill-ri...
store.steampowered.com
December 25, 2025 at 4:44 AM
Today's indie game: The Drifter (store.steampowered.com/app/1170570/...). Old-school LucasArts-style graphic adventure game with quality writing, good production values, but still holding to the genre's roots rather than trying to modernize it. If that sounds more nostalgic than painful, go for it
Today's indie game: The King Is Watching (store.steampowered.com/app/2753900/...). Not for everyone, it's specifically for micromanagers. The kind that don't just want to "play a spreadsheet" but who want to optimize each individual cell in that spreadsheet. It commits fully to the bit.
Save 35% on The King is Watching on Steam
The King is Watching is a roguelite kingdom builder. Rule by the power of your royal gaze! Decide between producing resources, training armies, or balancing both, while adapting to unique events every...
store.steampowered.com
December 23, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Today's indie game: The King Is Watching (store.steampowered.com/app/2753900/...). Not for everyone, it's specifically for micromanagers. The kind that don't just want to "play a spreadsheet" but who want to optimize each individual cell in that spreadsheet. It commits fully to the bit.
Today's indie game: Isopod: A Webbed Spin-off (store.steampowered.com/app/2053910/...). If you've played Webbed, we're done here. If you haven't, this is Ecco the Dolphin except you're an isopod doing isopod things, but with 100% extra corporate sociopathy, workers unions, and environmentalism.
Save 30% on Isopod: A Webbed Spin-off on Steam
You're a tiny pill-bug in a big world! Roll, zip, and slam your way through the gorgeous landscapes of the Australian bush, unite your fellow bugs, and fight back the greedy Fire Ant Conglomerate!
store.steampowered.com
December 22, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Today's indie game: Isopod: A Webbed Spin-off (store.steampowered.com/app/2053910/...). If you've played Webbed, we're done here. If you haven't, this is Ecco the Dolphin except you're an isopod doing isopod things, but with 100% extra corporate sociopathy, workers unions, and environmentalism.
Today's indie game: Astro Prospector (store.steampowered.com/app/3503440/...). Asteroids with auto-aim/fire, very short time limit, massive tech tree. The premise is you're mining coffee in space, so being a big grind is thematic. Short, simple runs nail the "one more try" feel.
Save 20% on Astro Prospector on Steam
Endless Coffee is out! Build your ship, survive 21 Days and break the Universe- Astro Prospector is an incremental bullet hell about mining coffee and fighting SpaceCorp. Collect resources, upgrade yo...
store.steampowered.com
December 21, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Today's indie game: Astro Prospector (store.steampowered.com/app/3503440/...). Asteroids with auto-aim/fire, very short time limit, massive tech tree. The premise is you're mining coffee in space, so being a big grind is thematic. Short, simple runs nail the "one more try" feel.
Sa[meow]rai:Sliver Stray (store.steampowered.com/app/3119690/...). You might think from the name that it's a game about cats, maybe in Feudal Japan or something. More like "Hotline Miami But With Anthropomorphic Cats." Each room takes 10 seconds or so, so failure is common but not a big setback.
Sa[meow]rai: Silverwing Stray on Steam
"Sa[meow]rai" is a top down action role-playing game centered around one-hit kills and rich interactivity.You play as a law-enforcer with an implant called "Gyakugawa Emergency Reboot D...
store.steampowered.com
December 20, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Sa[meow]rai:Sliver Stray (store.steampowered.com/app/3119690/...). You might think from the name that it's a game about cats, maybe in Feudal Japan or something. More like "Hotline Miami But With Anthropomorphic Cats." Each room takes 10 seconds or so, so failure is common but not a big setback.
Today's indie game: Strange Antiquities (www.badviking.com). Sequel to Strange Horticulture, here you're running a magic shop... except the owner left on urgent business and didn't label anything, so it's up to you to use books, research, etc. to figure out what each customer is asking for.
Home - Bad Viking
Bad Viking is the indie game development studio of UK-based brothers, Rob and John Donkin. We are best known for the occult botanical puzzle game Strange Horticulture.
www.badviking.com
December 18, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Today's indie game: Strange Antiquities (www.badviking.com). Sequel to Strange Horticulture, here you're running a magic shop... except the owner left on urgent business and didn't label anything, so it's up to you to use books, research, etc. to figure out what each customer is asking for.
Today's indie game: Dungeon Clawler (dungeonclawler.com). Slay-the-Spire-like, but instead of a hand of cards, you have a claw machine, and whatever it grabs is what you attack/defend with that turn. Your "deck" that you build over time is the things that get dropped into the machine.
Dungeon Clawler - Dungeon Clawler
Dungeon Clawler is a Roguelike Claw Machine Deckbuilder. Build your unique deck, fight enemies by grabbing weapons and items from a claw machine and find
dungeonclawler.com
December 16, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Today's indie game: Dungeon Clawler (dungeonclawler.com). Slay-the-Spire-like, but instead of a hand of cards, you have a claw machine, and whatever it grabs is what you attack/defend with that turn. Your "deck" that you build over time is the things that get dropped into the machine.
Slime Rancher 2 (www.slimerancher.com). Did you like the first Slime Rancher game? This is pretty much same game, new content, not much more to say about it, other than... wow, I didn't realize they made a sequel until it appeared in the IGF judging queue, but indies as a whole suck at marketing.
Slime Rancher 2
www.slimerancher.com
December 15, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Slime Rancher 2 (www.slimerancher.com). Did you like the first Slime Rancher game? This is pretty much same game, new content, not much more to say about it, other than... wow, I didn't realize they made a sequel until it appeared in the IGF judging queue, but indies as a whole suck at marketing.
Today's indie game: Everdeep Aurora (www.everdeepaurora.com). If you liked the SteamWorld Dig or Mr. Driller games but wished the main character was a cat, I have FANTASTIC news for you.
The main webpage of the videogame Everdeep Aurora
www.everdeepaurora.com
December 14, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Today's indie game: Everdeep Aurora (www.everdeepaurora.com). If you liked the SteamWorld Dig or Mr. Driller games but wished the main character was a cat, I have FANTASTIC news for you.
Today's indie game: The Roottrees Are Dead (roottrees.com). In the sleuthing style of Obra Dinn and Golden Idol, but for once your goal isn't to solve a murder but to simply work out an extended family tree, which is way more fun than it sounds if you like thinky games that make you feel clever.
The Roottrees are Dead | A family tree puzzle game
The Roottrees are dead is a puzzle game where you piece together a mysterious family tree using evidence scoured from the internet circa 1998.
roottrees.com
December 13, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Today's indie game: The Roottrees Are Dead (roottrees.com). In the sleuthing style of Obra Dinn and Golden Idol, but for once your goal isn't to solve a murder but to simply work out an extended family tree, which is way more fun than it sounds if you like thinky games that make you feel clever.
Today's indie game: The Wandering Village (thewanderingvillage.com). I've rec'd this before but it went to full v1.0 release this year. A straight city-builder except the city is built on the back of a giant beast, so you have to find a balance between tending to your village and your Kaiju.
The Wandering Village | Build a City on Top of a Giant Creature!
thewanderingvillage.com
December 10, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Today's indie game: The Wandering Village (thewanderingvillage.com). I've rec'd this before but it went to full v1.0 release this year. A straight city-builder except the city is built on the back of a giant beast, so you have to find a balance between tending to your village and your Kaiju.
Today's indie game: Sorry We're Closed (store.steampowered.com/app/1796580/...). Hard to describe. Part survival-horror, part dating sim, one of the most unashameedly Queer games I've seen this year. Lots going on and the combination won't be for everyone, but if it hits for you it'll hit hard.
Save 25% on Sorry We're Closed on Steam
Sorry We're Closed is an eccentric story-driven survival horror game about demons, angels and what happens when both sides collide. A mix of classic fixed-camera exploration and arcade-style shooting ...
store.steampowered.com
December 9, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Today's indie game: Sorry We're Closed (store.steampowered.com/app/1796580/...). Hard to describe. Part survival-horror, part dating sim, one of the most unashameedly Queer games I've seen this year. Lots going on and the combination won't be for everyone, but if it hits for you it'll hit hard.
Today's indie game: Expelled! An Overboard Game (www.inklestudios.com/expelled). If you've played any of Inkle's games (80 Days, Overboard!) then this is another one, and if you liked the others you'll probably like this one too. Unlike its predecessor, you're not even necessarily a bad person!
inkle - Expelled!
Independent developer of narrative games and interactive stories.
www.inklestudios.com
December 8, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Today's indie game: Expelled! An Overboard Game (www.inklestudios.com/expelled). If you've played any of Inkle's games (80 Days, Overboard!) then this is another one, and if you liked the others you'll probably like this one too. Unlike its predecessor, you're not even necessarily a bad person!
Today's indie game: Ambrosia Sky (softrains.games). I was never big into FPS games where the main verbs are move-aim-shoot-kill, but I liked Portal where it cut out the kill part, and I'm liking this where I'm spraying chemicals to remove invasive fungal/plant life to collect samples FOR SCIENCE.
Soft Rains | Home
softrains.games
December 7, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Today's indie game: Ambrosia Sky (softrains.games). I was never big into FPS games where the main verbs are move-aim-shoot-kill, but I liked Portal where it cut out the kill part, and I'm liking this where I'm spraying chemicals to remove invasive fungal/plant life to collect samples FOR SCIENCE.
Today's indie game: Absolum (www.playabsolum.com). A classic beat-em-up brawler with modern design. If you liked classic Golden Axe, Double Dragon, D&D: Shadows Over Mystera, etc. but want more of a Slay-the-Spire-like run-based progression, this might be your GOTY.
Absolum Game
Crafted with passion by the dream team that redefined side-scrolling beat 'em ups, Absolum mixes top-of-the-class combat action with modern roguelite elements
www.playabsolum.com
December 6, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Today's indie game: Absolum (www.playabsolum.com). A classic beat-em-up brawler with modern design. If you liked classic Golden Axe, Double Dragon, D&D: Shadows Over Mystera, etc. but want more of a Slay-the-Spire-like run-based progression, this might be your GOTY.
Today's indie game: and Roger (creatorslab.kodansha.co.jp/en/products/...). If you liked Florence and are okay with something similar but way darker, with an extremely vague Content Warning up front... grab your tissues. Complete playthrough in about an hour.
and Roger
NOTES BEFORE PURCHASE
This game is a work of fiction. However, it depicts certain uncomfortable aspects of reality.We suggest that you only play this game when you feel confident that doing so woul...
creatorslab.kodansha.co.jp
December 4, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Today's indie game: and Roger (creatorslab.kodansha.co.jp/en/products/...). If you liked Florence and are okay with something similar but way darker, with an extremely vague Content Warning up front... grab your tissues. Complete playthrough in about an hour.
Today's indie game: Asbury Pines (store.steampowered.com/app/2212790/...). This is, I kid you not, a narrative-heavy idle clicker. Not for everyone - all of the narrative is in historical records (letters, newspaper clippings, journals, etc.) so a lot of reading. Twin Peaks / Gravity Falls vibes.
Save 25% on Asbury Pines on Steam
A grisly mystery in a small town unfolds across centuries through the stories of its residents. Orchestrate their work, grow resources, upgrade skills, and create automated production loops between pa...
store.steampowered.com
December 3, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Today's indie game: Asbury Pines (store.steampowered.com/app/2212790/...). This is, I kid you not, a narrative-heavy idle clicker. Not for everyone - all of the narrative is in historical records (letters, newspaper clippings, journals, etc.) so a lot of reading. Twin Peaks / Gravity Falls vibes.
One indie game per day (when I don't forget): Old Skies (www.oldskiesgame.com). This deserved recognition in last year's IGF and didn't get it, they resubmitted so I'm gonna plug them again. Probably my favorite from Wadjet Eye, a graphical adventure about time-travel tourism.
Old Skies - Wadjet Eye Games
www.oldskiesgame.com
December 2, 2025 at 4:18 PM
One indie game per day (when I don't forget): Old Skies (www.oldskiesgame.com). This deserved recognition in last year's IGF and didn't get it, they resubmitted so I'm gonna plug them again. Probably my favorite from Wadjet Eye, a graphical adventure about time-travel tourism.
Today's indie game: Promise Mascot Agency (kaizengameworks.com). I don't even know how to describe this. It's weird and quirky but plays it straight. The trailer probably explains it better than I can in 300 characters. It has Yakuza, mascots, magic, business/training sim, driving, idk what else.
Kaizen Game Works – An Independent Game Studio Born In Paradise
AN INDEPENDENT GAME STUDIO BORN IN PARADISE
kaizengameworks.com
November 30, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Today's indie game: Promise Mascot Agency (kaizengameworks.com). I don't even know how to describe this. It's weird and quirky but plays it straight. The trailer probably explains it better than I can in 300 characters. It has Yakuza, mascots, magic, business/training sim, driving, idk what else.
One 2026 IGF-entry indie game per day (minus the days I miss). Today's game: Real Vampires (www.thoseeyes.dk/realvampires). A documentary in WarioWare-style game form, on the dark history of vampire lore and what real humans did to others when they believed those other humans were vampires.
Real Vampires | Those Eyes
www.thoseeyes.dk
November 28, 2025 at 9:21 PM
One 2026 IGF-entry indie game per day (minus the days I miss). Today's game: Real Vampires (www.thoseeyes.dk/realvampires). A documentary in WarioWare-style game form, on the dark history of vampire lore and what real humans did to others when they believed those other humans were vampires.